1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a leveling instrument and more particularly to a leveling instrument which uses a beam of light, specifically a laser beam, to project a single horizontal reference line, both a horizontal reference line and a vertical reference line or a reference dot.
2. Description of the Related Art
Laser levels have been used in the field of construction for many years. The typical procedure in conjunction with a laser level is to project either a precisely horizontal line or to project a line from one mark on a wall to another mark on a wall. The common form of laser level requires that the laser level unit be mounted directly on the wall surface on which the line is to be projected. This type of usage greatly limits the use of a laser level. For example, if a homeowner or tradesman desires to project a line spaced from a wall/floor joint but yet parallel to that joint, there was no way that this could be accomplished by use of the laser level alone. A distance measurement had to be made at two different spaced apart locations from the wall/floor joint with that distance measurement being the same and making appropriate marks on the wall. The laser level of the prior art then would be aligned up with those two marks with the line being projected therebetween. It would be more desirable to construct a device that would project that line not requiring the use of any particular marks or distance measurements on a wall.
Additionally, at times it may even be desirable to mount some structure on a ceiling with this structure being mounted along a line that is parallel to the wall/floor joint. With the prior art laser level this was an impossibility.
Also, laser levels of the prior art utilized a spirit level combination in conjunction with the laser level housing which would be used to precisely level the laser level housing so that the projected line would be precisely level. However, if one is installing cabinets, for example, it is desired that the lower level of the cabinets be precisely parallel to the wall/floor joint. The only way this could be accomplished would be by utilizing a pair of spaced apart distant measurements on the wall from different points along the floor, making the marks on the wall and then projecting a line between those two points. In most instances, if one were just to project a line which was deemed to be level by a spirit level then that line should be parallel to the wall/floor joint. However, in some cases, floors are not precisely parallel and may be located at a slight angle especially if the floor has been constructed to deal with water drainage. If one uses a level line to mount cabinets on a wall in such an instance then possibly the cabinets relative to the wall/floor joint would tend to be at a slight angle. If one could use a laser level that could project a beam which would comprise a reference line and then make that line parallel to the wall/floor joint and then move that line to the desired location on a wall, then the cabinets that would be placed on that wall would line up with the wall/floor joint.